Some Wildflowers of the Chiricahua Mountains, AZ

Some seasonally common flowers of the South Fork of Cave Creek. They are arranged by color.

White

• Prickly Poppy - large crinkly bloom. Stems and leaves very prickly. Long stem (2-3 feet). Bluish cast to foliage.

  

  • Lemon Beebalm (Monarda citriodora) - white clumps of flowers in a ball-like arrangement.

    

  • Fleabane (Erigeron speciosus, although once known as E. macranthus) - Daisy-like with many narrow petals. Color looks white but is frequently described as blue. Age of bloom and lighting can affect appearance of blossom color. In late summer may line road in to South Fork.

    

  • Richardson's Geranium - note pinkish stripes on petals

    

    

  Yellow Flowers

  • Yellow Monkeyflower. Blooms early in summer and usually along streams or in wet areas.

  • Mullein. Flower blooms are on tall, thick stalk. Leaves are very fuzzy. A non-native plant. Blooms most of warm season.

  • New Mexican Butterweed. A yellow daisy-like bloom on a short stalk. One of the first flowers to bloom in the canyon in the spring. Early in the year it may line the South Fork Trail. A few bloom later in the summer as well.

     

  • Yellow Columbine. Grows in a clump with multiple blooms. Usually near water. Nice clumps bloom in spring and early summer near the South Fork bridge.

     

    

  • Yellow Composites (Aster/daisy relatives) - Most of these are late summer/autumn bloomers. Many varieties occur and they can be very difficult to identify.

     

    • Goldenrod (solidago wrightii)

      

       

    • Verbesina (Crownbeards)

      • Long-leafed (Dagger-shaped leaves form loose whorls around stem)

         

        

      • Golden (Look for two notches at tip of each petal)

        

         

    • Wild Chrysanthemum - Blossoms are small-ish. Plant is tall. Leaves are divided, much like ordinary garden "mums".

      

       

    • Viguieras ...several

       

      • Viguiera cordifolia - heart-ish shaped leaves. Very rough to touch. Stems rough too.

         

    • Heterotheca psammophila (also known as subaxillaris) (Telegraph Plant, Camphorweed)

  Orange Flowers

  • Butterfly weed (or orange milkweed) grows in moist areas. The blooms are brilliant orange and are set in dense flat crown. Look near South Fork bridge late May to early June.

    

     

  • Globe Mallow - a very common roadside flower throughout. Blooms most of the warmer season.

    

  Red Flowers

  • Penstemon - Bright red tubular blooms on a tall stalk. Loved by hummingbirds. Blooms throughout warm months.

    

     

  • Hummingbird Trumpet - Bright red tubular blooms with long stamens extending past mouth of flower. Also loved by hummingbirds. Generally along streams.

    

    

     

  • Scarlet Hedge Nettle - Red tubular blooms on a short stalk. Leaves toothed and fuzzy. Stem has square cross-section. Likes moist areas. Blooms throughout warm months. This plant is known by many names, among them are Texas Betony, Stachys, and Scarlet Sage. Scientific name is Stachys coccinea. It is a mint relative.

    

     

  • Scarlet Morning Glory. Grows as a vine that may climb other plants. Blooms in late summer. Note distinctive leaf-shape.

    

     

  • Red Columbine - smaller than yellow columbine - drier locations.

    

  Pink/Purple Flowers

  • Oxalis (Wood Sorrel). Two varieties of this flower are common along the South Fork Trail. They are easy to distinguish by leaf shape...one looks like a shamrock, the other a little like a bird-footprint.

    

     

  • Bergamot. Bright purplish bloom of many smaller flowers sticking out of a central ball to make a round flower head. Prefers wet areas. Many grow near the South Fork bridge.

     

  • Four O'Clock - purple/pink with long, protruding stamens

    

     

  • Thistle - purple/pink with spiny stem and leaves. Several varieties bloom in the Chiricahuas.

    

  • Mock Vervain. Cluster of small pinkish blossoms. Leaves very fuzzy and deeply indented. Blossom tubular with 5 "petals".

    Blue Flowers

    • Thurber's Trumpet (Ipomopsis thurberi). Other names also used. Flower color may differ from one plant to another...from pale to dark blue. Common in late summer along the road into South Fork. Also common at higher elevations, along the road to Onion Saddle, for example.

      

      Detail of Thurber's Trumpet blooms below

      

       

    • Western Dayflower

      

       

    ---

     

    Some seasonally common flowers of higher areas in the Chiricahuas

    (In particular, Rustler Park.) These are also arranged by color.

     

    White

    • Indian Plantain [Psacalium decompositum (Old name = cacalia)]

      

      

       

    ---

    Yellow Flowers

  • Owl's Claws, Orange Sneezeweed

    Grows profusely in late summer at Rustler park ... tall,large blossoms

    Scientific name is Hymenoxys hoopesii but also Dugaldia hoopesii

  Red Flowers

  • Paintbrush

    

    There are many varieties of Paintbrush, including some that are yellow. Only a single, representative one is shown here.

     

  • Silene

    

  Blue/Violet Flowers